The invention relates generally to a baling system having a bale position sensor.
A baler may be used to consolidate and package crop material. In some cases, crop material is cut and left in an agricultural field for windrow drying in the sun. When the crop material is sufficiently dried, a baler (e.g., round baler, square baler, etc.) may be used to collect the dry crop material and prepare it for sale or other uses. The baler typically has a mechanism that collects the crop material from the ground and directs the crop material toward a bale forming chamber. For round balers, a series of belts and rollers inside the bale forming chamber compress the crop material to form a cylindrically shaped bale. In some cases, the baler may include a wrapping mechanism to wrap the completed bale in twine or a net to maintain the shape of the bale.
Once the baler forms a completed bale, an operator deposits the bale in the agricultural field for later collection. Certain round balers include a tailgate that is rotatably attached to the bale forming chamber. Upon formation of the bale, the operator opens the tailgate to eject the completed bale. Alternatively, the tailgate may open automatically when a completed bale is formed. Once the tailgate is open, the bale rolls down a ramp, which is attached to the baler to the ground. Then, the operator closes the tailgate and continues collecting the remaining crop material.
Unfortunately, it may be difficult for the operator to determine when to close the tailgate because the operator may not know exactly how long it takes for the completed bale to leave the bale forming chamber and clear the tailgate. In other words, the operator may not know exactly when the bale has moved to a position on the ramp in which the tailgate may be rotated from the open position to the closed position without contacting the bale. Accordingly, the operator may wait an undesirably long time before closing the tailgate to ensure that the bale is clear. Because a subsequent bale may not be formed until the tailgate is closed, the lost time leads to longer durations to complete baling operations and wasted fuel while machinery is idling in the field waiting for the tailgate to close.